Retail sales revival allays fears of Brexit jitters

Official March figures show 4.3% rise on last year with only clothing and footwear retailers suffering from chilly weather and early Easter

Retail sales rebounded last month as cheap deals lured British spenders back to the shops, but clothing sales suffered from chilly weather.

There was little sign that uncertainty around June's EU referendum was hurting consumers' willingness to spend in April. Official figures showed retail sales volumes jumped 1.3% on the month, well ahead of expectations for a 0.5% rise in a Reuters poll. Sales were up 4.3% on a year earlier.

Retail sales rise in April 16 by 4.3% compared with April 15 and 1.3% on March 16 https://t.co/F31zjpX7BT

Clothing stores remain the main drag on retail sales, down 7.4% in April 16 compared with April 15 https://t.co/yNwgSd5DG1